Diplomats EP Dropping This Summer, Jim Jones Says

Fans of the Diplomats (Cam’ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freekey Zekey) are going to have to wait until the summer to hear new music from the Harlem rap conglomerate. Jones has revealed that the Dipset will be releasing a new EP in July.

“The difference is the respect level that’s there amongst all of us feels good, it feels hellified,” Jones — whose latest album, Capo, was released Tuesday — told
href="http://www.vibe.com/posts/v-exclusive-jim-jones-says-new-dipset-ep-will-be-released-july " target="_blank">Vibe.com. “We plan on putting out an EP on July 4th called Independence Day, so look forward to that.”

Although various Dipset members have mentioned
that the group is in the midst of securing a recording contract with Interscope Records, no deal has been confirmed yet. Jones’ previous album, Pray IV Reign, was released via Sony/Columbia Records in 2009.

In an interview with Miss Info of Hot 97, the Harlem rapper speculated that Columbia released him from his contract — despite, Jones said, his owing the label $8 million — because of Jay-Z. A then-impending deal with Jay’s Roc Nation label (Jay bought out his Def Jam contract
in 2009) apparently hastened Jones’ exit.

“They did a big deal over there … it was called Roc Nation,” Jones told Miss Info. “So they gave me one piece of paper that said I don’t owe them nothing, keep it stepping.”

Though Jones never said Jay-Z’s name specifically, the implication is that rather than have Capo and Hova, whose relationship can be described as icy at best, have dealings with the same label, Columbia allowed Jones to walk away despite not recouping the money invested in his music.